Treloar leads the way in Anzac Day rout

With Collingwood at their blistering best in a 49-point Anzac Day drubbing of Essendon, it's no surprise it was Adam Treloar who led the way.

The powerful midfielder was a worthy winner of his first Anzac Medal as best afield in the 14.17 (101) to 7.10 (52) win in front of 91,440 fans at the MCG.

Collingwood's midfield dominance meant the award could just as easily have gone to Scott Pendlebury or Steele Sidebottom.

But no one exemplified the Magpies' aggression at the contests and attacking fluency like the consistently dangerous Treloar, who racked up 34 disposals, eight inside-50s and two goals in a stellar performance.

Coach Nathan Buckley highlighted the 25-year-old's workrate and defensive pressure, describing his attacking prowess as a cherry on top.

"He can be pretty hard on himself," Buckley said.

"That's a cross to bear in some ways but it's also a reason why he's always going to give his best for his teammates. That's what we love about him.

"The thing I've loved about his development in recent times is his willingness to be involved in the clinches and the hard stuff ... and then bringing his strengths to the table is a massive bonus for us."

Treloar, who arrived at Collingwood from Greater Western Sydney at the end of 2015, said the Magpies' depth of contributors had given him the freedom to back himself.

"Bucks has told me, and all the coaches and players have told me, that my biggest strength is trying to take the game on and use my speed and my power," he said.

"I need to do that more often because it's going to help us win games.

"You get a lot of confidence out of the group because it seems to be what everyone's doing ... it gives me confidence to take the game on."

Treloar is the 13th Collingwood player to win best-afield honours in the blockbuster since 1995's inaugural game - although he was stunned to learn the list does not include Magpies great Buckley.